American lead guitarists

American guitarist (1942–1970)

Kurt Donald Cobain was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establishment persona, he widened the thematic conventions of mainstream rock music. He was heralded as a spokesman of Generation X, and is widely recognized as one of the most influential rock musicians.

Prince Rogers Nelson, known mononymously as Prince, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, dancer, actor, and filmmaker. Often being credited as one of the greatest musicians of his generation, he pioneered the Minneapolis sound and was influential in the evolution of various other genres.

American musician (1940–1993)

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature the E Street Band, his backing band since 1972.

American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter (1925–2015)

American musician (1926–2017)

American rock musician (1942–2013)

Neil Percival Young is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. Son of journalist and author Scott Young, Young embarked on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s. He then moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. His solo career, often backed by the band Crazy Horse, includes critically acclaimed albums such as Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969), After the Gold Rush (1970), Harvest (1972), On the Beach (1974), and Rust Never Sleeps (1979). Young was also a part-time member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, with whom he recorded the chart-topping 1970 album Déjà Vu.

American rock and roll singer (1936–1959)

American guitarist

American rock musician

Billie Joe Armstrong is an American musician and actor. He is best known for being the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Green Day, which he co-founded with Mike Dirnt in 1987. He is also a guitarist and vocalist for the punk rock band Pinhead Gunpowder, and provides lead vocals for Green Day's side projects Foxboro Hot Tubs, the Network, the Longshot and the Coverups. Armstrong has been considered by critics as one of the greatest punk rock guitarists of all time, as well as one of the greatest punk rock singers of all time.

British musician

American musician

American guitarist

Dutch-American rock guitarist (1955–2020)

American blues musician (1913–1983)

American blues guitarist (1954–1990)

American guitarist

American guitarist

American guitarist

American musician (1931–2007)

John Anthony White is an American musician and record producer who was the guitarist and lead vocalist of the rock duo the White Stripes. He was a key artist of the 2000s indie and garage rock movements, noted for his distinctive musical techniques, eccentricity, and utilization of analog technology. After the White Stripes split up in 2011, he found success with his solo career and business ventures.

American guitarist and rock musician

Scottish-American musician (born 1952)

American guitarist and singer (born 1943)

American actor, musician (b. 1991)

American guitarist (born 1967)

American guitarist and musician

American musician (1936–2017)

American musician (1975–2021)

American musician (born 1950)

American guitarist

American musician (1967–2001)

American rock musician

American guitarist

American guitarist and singer (1942–1995)

American guitarist (born 1964)

American guitarist (1964–2013)

American musician (born 1945)

American blues guitarist and singer

American jazz musician

American guitarist (1956–1982)

American surf rock guitarist (1937–2019)

American guitarist (1966–2004)

American guitarist

American guitarist

American guitarist, singer and composer

American musician

American guitarist (1946–1971)

American guitarist

American country musician (born 1972)

Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley was an American musician who was the original lead guitarist, occasional vocalist, and a founding member of the rock band Kiss. He invented the persona of the Spaceman and originally played with the group from its inception in 1973 until his departure in 1982, before later rejoining in 1996 until his final departure in 2002.

American guitarist (1948–2004)

American blues guitarist and singer (1944–2014)

American guitarist

Hillel Slovak was an Israeli-American musician, best known as an early guitarist of the Los Angeles rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he recorded two albums. His guitar work was rooted in funk and hard rock, and he often experimented with other genres, including reggae and speed metal. He is considered to have been a major influence on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' early sound.

American musician (1942–1995)